Dinner at Yosef's

I So wish I had taken a camera.

Yosef has been in his house for eight years. It is in a constant state of repair. It will be a heritage home once he has finished; he is restoring it to its former glory.

It was built in 1912-13 so it has just turned 100 years old. It was built  by a man from Iowa who got the lumber license for Haida Gwaii and he became rich. It is a total upstairs/downstairs home with the servants section separated from the family section. Yosef has taken over the whole place.

The entire garden is bing landscaped. It is filled with sculpture. There is an enormous pool being built that runs through it. The entrance hall has a fireplace and is about 500 sq. feet. There is a master staircase. He has raised the roof to convert the attic to a huge gallery with sliding walls that increase the lineal footage. The sauna/hot tub is built like a cavern and the man-made stalactites and stalagmites are filled with real crystals. We watched the movie in the basement cinema that has a fifties bar attached.

The dining room and setting was incredible. Tiffany lamps, art nouveau everywhere and we were served by wonderful staff and filled with amazing, delicious food. Gespacho, salmon, a little courgette, brocolini and spectacularly plated plus lots of wine. (I could barely swallow the desert, however. It was soaked in coffee and Kahlua.)

All in all, an extraordinary experience unlike any other evening I have ever spent. Perhaps the best part was meeting Yosef's kids: Avi, Rahel and Shevi are children who impress. They have been raised spectacularly. Rahel, 21, lives in Tel Aviv. Shevi is studying nero something or other in Chicago. Avi is studying here at home.

I got to sit beside Robin for dinner! Yay!